


The Sixth Soul

by Raiven



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, My First Undertale Fanfic, Pre-Undertale, Shit is gonna get dark real quick bruh, Undertale Spoilers, headcanons, just hold your horses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-05 11:25:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5373587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiven/pseuds/Raiven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toleryn fell into the Underground from above, but she was not the first, and she won't be the last. All she has is her favorite ribbon and a plastic toy knife to protect her from those trying to hunt her down. </p><p>Sans' life was changed forever after an incident at the lab. Since taking up a position as a sentry in the forest, things... haven't really gotten any better, actually. Taking human souls just doesn't have the same appeal as it used to, y'know.</p><p>Flowey finds that something is interfering with his powers to save and load, and has to get creative in order to remedy the problem. The prospect of having a human soul is too much to pass up, though, so he inquires (or rather, demands) others in this timeline to aid him. But some are just harder to work with than others...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tolie

**Author's Note:**

> So, I haven't written fanfiction in years, bruh. At least not anything worth publishing. I really only have a vague idea of where I wanna go with this, and I am failing very hard at this exposition crap. Don't worry, the fun stuff will come a bit later. I just wanted to get a decent set up before I throw absolute hell at our favorite underground monsters.

“Oh! You poor thing!”

A soft groan escaped the young girl’s mouth as her eyes flickered open. What happened? Where on Earth was she…? The last thing she remembered was running blindly through the snow. Clambering over stones and tripping through the thick powder as vicious snarls and howls echoed through the wind behind her. No… the last she remembered… was falling. Spiraling through blackness as if gravity itself had been become nothing more than an abstract thought. But that didn’t explain where she was, did it?

A blurry shape kneeled in front of her, a look of worry plastered over the stranger’s oddly pale face. Toleryn blinked and rubbed her eyes, trying to make out the person in front of her. That… wasn’t a human, was it? She let out a startled outcry, scrambling back on her palms away from the figure before a sharp pain in her hand made her elbow cave and she ended up curled sideways in the trampled bed of golden flowers.

“Hush now…” The not-human woman cooed softly, reaching her hand out on her knees to try and coax Tolie up. “Be not afraid, my child. I will not harm you.”

The creature’s words and soft voice helped soothe the blind fear coursing through the girl’s veins enough for her to at last find her voice. “W-What…? Who― Where am I?” She sputtered, lifting her hand to see the splash of red across her palm. That’s right; she had cut her hand on a rock before stumbling into the pit.

“I am Toriel.” The monster said, her furry face curving up in a smile. “You fell into the Underground. It has been quite some time since I’ve seen a human fall down here…” She said, extending her hand to the girl once more. “Come, my child. I can take care of you.” Her russet-brown eyes squinted in a gentle manner.

That wasn’t really much on an answer, was it? Tolie had never seen anyone like Toriel before, and she was hurt and scared. She wanted to cry out for help, but perhaps she already had all the help she needed. Carefully landing her good hand in Toriel’s much larger palm, she allowed the monster to pull her carefully to her feet. “There we go. Can you walk? I hope you have not hurt yourself badly; it is quite a long drop, I suppose.”

“N-No, I’m okay.” Tolie sniffled, taking a few careful steps all the while staring up at Toriel. She practically towered above her, but there was something so gentle about her mannerisms that made the girl feel… safe, maybe? It was strange, but as she trotted along after Toriel, Tolie was filled with curiosity more than fear.

“These are the Ruins.” Toriel explained as they walked together, and she was careful to keep an even pace with the human child. “There are many puzzles and traps through here. It’s―”

“Ahh!” Tolie shrieked, diving behind Toriel’s cloak as she pointed an extended finger at the weird-looking creature that sat in the leaves. “What’s that?!” It gawked back in surprise before letting out a cry of it’s own and darting away into the shadows.

“Ah. That is Whimsum. Don’t mind him; he’s having a particularly bad day today.” She said quietly, nodding sympathetically in the direction the little monster had vanished. “There are many other monsters here in the underground, child. Many of them have never seen a human before, and it can be quite frightening.” She explained, glancing down at Tolie. “Some may attack you out of fear, but there’s an easy solution to this.”

Tolie listened carefully as Toriel went on to explain how many monsters in the Underground weren’t built to fight. The magic of the smaller Froggits was barely more than the ability to understand speech more than their surface counterparts (albeit not by much, though), and it was true that many monsters weren’t the best at communicating their feelings. “It’s hard for them to open up.” She said, lifting Tolie easily up over a suspiciously thin looking piece of stone to the other side. “So if someone tries to attack you, remember to be patient with them. Just trying to explain that you don’t want to fight.”

“But what if I wanna fight?” Tolie said, smiling an impish, gap-toothed smile up at the motherly monster. From within the large pocket at the front of her dirty dress she withdrew a small plastic knife and swished it around in front of her, making whooshing sounds with her mouth all the while. “I can fight ‘em off! I’m strong, see?” She let out a laugh and let go of Toriel’s hand, twirling and jumping over holes.

“Little one! Please be careful!” Toriel said, an obvious note of worry in her voice as her brows lifted. “You wouldn’t want to hurt yourself or someone else, would you?”

“Well, no, but―”

“Come now, put that away. I suspect having it to protect yourself will be alright, but…” She trailed off quietly, a sad, shadowed look crossing her expression before it lifted into a smile again. “My home is just over this way. It isn’t much, but I think you will like it!”

Tolie was surprised how, well, normal it looked. It was oddly out of place in the dark Ruins, all quaint and homey and warm. It smelled good too, and Tolie followed Toriel around as she showed the girl around. There was the smell of flowers and the faint smell of baked goods stuck to nearly everything in the house. She let out an excited laugh as she leapt up onto the massive green chair and nearly sunk into the plush throws. Toriel laughed as well.

Toriel used magic to heal Tolie’s wounds. It was the most incredible thing, the numbing warmth that had spread up her hand and seemingly all over her body. She had come to accept that magic wasn’t real, even if her favorite cartoons had all sorts of wonderful things like this. Come to think of it, this all sort of seemed surreal, like a wonderfully vivid dream. It was new and exciting. She couldn’t get enough of it.

After she was all patched up, Toriel went to work making dinner while Tolie explored the rest of the house. It was almost like her house at the home, except for the basement. At the home, she was never allowed in the basement, and besides, it was scary and dark down there. Not that she’d admit it aloud, but she wasn’t so keen on trying to adventure down there quite yet.

Whatever Toriel had made for supper was delicious, even if it crunched and stuck to her teeth in a funny way. Before she had even mentioned how exhausted she was, Toriel offered her the child-sized bed in one of her rooms, and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.


	2. Unease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have the beginnings of plot. It's getting there. Also oh hey look it's our favorite sadistic golden flower!
> 
> Edit: Look guys I did [ an art thing. ](http://xxraivenwingsxx.deviantart.com/art/Undertale-The-Sixth-Soul-Unease-Scene-578580195)

      The wind was howling and churning vicious little clouds of powdered snow up and around the tiny wooden hut that served as Sans’ sentry station. The cold itself didn’t really bother him as much as the wind; it whistled through his bones and whispered annoyingly insistent criticism. Or maybe he was hearing that voice again; he wasn’t sure. Or maybe he just wasn’t sure he cared.

      Letting out a sigh the lights of his eyes lifted toward the misty covering above him. There was no sky, no true seasons down here, and it had always confused him why Snowdin and the surrounding forest were always cloaked in an eternal blizzard. ‘ _Perhaps it’s because of all the magic that flows through the Underground._ ’ Someone had said to him, although who he couldn’t put a face to. Not today, at least. ‘ _Everyone’s sorrows cause Waterfall to cry, and their anger makes Hotland churn in magma. Perhaps it is always cold there because the monsters... the numbness that comes with believing nothing will change has kept Snowdin frozen. Forever stuck in the snow, just as we all are stuck below the earth._ ’

      Heh, well, he supposed anything was possible, really. There certainly was no shortage of magic down here. It didn’t just stem from the monsters themselves; it seemed to live in the dirt and stone itself. Or maybe that was _because_ of all the monsters that had lived here for so long. It was long before Sans’ time, afterall, that they had become prisoners to the cavernous walls after the war.

     “SANS! Where in blazes are you?!”

     Opening his sockets Sans looked around to see… nothing. Nothing but white. Brushing off a layer of snow from his skeletal face he’d glance around, confused. He wasn’t in the sentry station anymore; he was behind it, curled up between two trees along the edge of the path. Oh, oops. “I’m over here, bro.” He called out, standing shakily up and brushing himself off as Papyrus stomped through the snow towards him. “Sans, what are you doing way over here? You’d best not be slacking off again ― you know how upset Undyne gets!” The taller brother huffed, setting his hands against his hip as he stared down at Sans. Looking up at him, it was a wonder how he’d ever been smaller than himself. The guy was a tower.

     “Nah. I was just making sure there wasn’t anyone in the trees.” He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and glancing over his shoulder.

      “Oh, perhaps it’s that wonderful flower!” Papyrus chirped, his expression brightening excitedly. It quickly dimmed though as he watched Sans roll his eyesockets. He had missed the subtle flinch just before that. “There’s no talking flower, bro, I’m telling you. Someone’s messing with you.” Tipping his head sideways he’d withdraw a hand to gesture out toward the swirling wind around them. “Besides, the only flowers that grow around here are the ones that can survive the cold. You said―”

     “Yes, yes, I know what I said!” Papyrus pouted, his eyes searching the trees for something he knew he wouldn’t find. “It’s… it’s one of the golden flowers, like the ones Asgore makes the tea with.”

     Sans watched his brother carefully. He couldn’t outright tell the truth now could he? As much as he hated lying to his brother and keeping him in the dark, it was better than exposing what he _knew_ to be true ― that Flowey probably _was_ out there. Right now, even, watching them speak. He was just like the voice in his head, seemingly always listening, always aware of what was happening in the Underground. He wanted to settle things with that creep once and for all, but getting Papyrus more involved than he already was would put just that much more strain on the uneasy agreement he and that flower had come to.

     “C’mon, Paps. My shift’s basically over anyway. Let’s go home. I’m chilled to the _bone_.”

     “AAARGH What is _with_ you and these terrible skeleton puns you’ve been coming up with lately?!”

     That made it easier to smile, and he grinned at his brother with a narrow-eyed look. Jokes were always easier than lies. Although he was getting quite good at both now, he preferred the former when it came to Papyrus. It was just… simpler. He gave a shrug as Papyrus turned to crunch through the snow back to the path to Snowdin. Sans didn’t bother looking back over his shoulder; he knew what he’d see, but he just didn’t want to acknowledge the thinly grinning face surrounded by golden petals that was peeking through the snow between the trees. He just didn’t care.

 

* * *

 

      “Can I try too, mummy?”

      Toriel beamed down at the child staring up at her with bright blue eyes. Tolie was eager to learn new things with each passing day. It was like a dream come true for the boss monster. None of the other children before the girl had ever been so interested in learning about the Underground and those that lived within it. Well… at least those that came after the human she had once called her own.. They all wanted the same thing; to get back to the surface. And who could really blame them for that? Even if it had cost them their lives, who was she to stand in the way of someone else’s fate?

     “Of course you can, my child.” Leaning down to scoop the girl into her arms she’d balance her at her hip with one arm and hand the ladle to her with the other. “Stir slowly, and be sure to be careful.” Even if Toriel had full control over her fire magic, there was still a chance Tolie could get burned, and she couldn’t let that happen. “Make sure to blow on it first!”

     Tolie sucked in a large breath before blowing it at the wobbling spoon in her grasp, nearly half of its liquid contents splattering back into the pot below it. Toriel giggled quietly, raising her brows as Tolie lifted the ladle for her to taste first. “Go ahead!” The girl said confidently, grinning that gap-toothed smile at her.

     Where had she come from, anyway…? Had she not a home to return to? A family to miss? It made Toriel’s heart ache to think about how quick the girl had taken a liking to the monster. Was there no one in her life to love her? In fact, after the initial introduction to the Underground, she had become increasingly curious in everything around her. Day after day she’d return home from gathering supplies to find Tolie squatting in the yard speaking to the Froggits and Whimsums, and playing with the Vegetoids that sprouted from the earth in a complicated cat-and-mouse game.

     Toriel sipped at the edge of the ladle carefully. It was quite a good beginning to what she had intended to make, but the consistency was all wrong. That was fine; it would serve it’s purpose. “That shall have to do!” She said with a smile, setting the child back on the tiles of the kitchen. She had only glanced back to the pot for a moment before she heard Tolie’s screeching giggles disappear down the hallway excitedly. Shaking her head with a contented smile, Toriel went back to work fixing supper.

      It seemed barely any time had passed, and yet she already cared immensely for the girl. Perhaps it was due to her longing for something to care for, and her… failed attempts at keeping those who had come before her from harm. She would not allow herself to fail, this time. Not with Toleryn.

 

* * *

 

     “Howdy, _trash._ ”

     The skeleton skidded to a halt mid-stride, letting out a rumbling sigh. He _really_ didn’t want to deal with this guy today. Turning on his heel just enough to make out the contently smiling flower, he glared while Flowey bobbed on his stem. Did he always have to make such a habit out of springing up abruptly on people? Being the sneaky little cur that he was, Sans suspected that was purely to get a reaction. And, well, it worked.

     It had been some time since Flowey had bothered to interact directly with Sans. Since he’d last spied Sans’ little space-hopping trick out by the sentry station days before, he had tried to stay out of sight. Not because he feared the skeleton ― oh, how marvelous that would be, to feel fear again ― but because it would have ruined his little ‘game’ if he tried to take on Sans early. He was still having too much fun playing with dear little Papyrus on the sidelines to risk his piece of garbage brother ruining his run early. But that’s exactly why he was here now.

     “What do you want?” Sans growled, his expression flickering from annoyed to almost cocky in the blink of an eye. “Were you itchin’ to get shredded again? ‘Cause, y’know, I’ve got nothing _but_ time.” He deadpanned, glaring down his nasal cavity at the smug little flower. It was worth it just to see a flicker of anger cross Flowey’s expression. But it was gone in an instant, being replaced with that sickly sweet smile. Sans wanted to tear each one of his petals off ― one by one.

     “Oh, I don’t know about that.~” Flowey chimed, swaying back and forth. He had to keep his cool, play it safe for now ― which was both annoying and exciting all at once. “You might be needed at your station _really_ soon. In fact, I’d head there now if I were you.”

     “What makes you say that? What makes you think I _care_ about anything you have to say?”

     The flowey let out a cackle, waving his leaves. “Uh, because I know things, dummy!” Flowey giggled, his face twisting into a far more sinister sneer. “You can’t fool me, remember? I know what you care about. I _know_ you.” Once upon a timeline, Sans had been a fun toy. A project. But he had grown somewhat frustrating when his little skeleton puppet had begun to _remember_ things. It wasn’t the same level of satisfying ripping apart someone who thought his was their friend when they began each new timeline hating him more and more. He’d lost count how many times he had tried to reset to make Sans forget so he could play with him anew. It hadn’t worked, never completely, which was annoying.

     And yet… smiley trashbag was still pretty amusing, albeit in a different way. It was something new. The hate and confusion he saw in Sans each time he reset was addicting. He was so frustrated and brooding, unable to understand _why_ he distrusted the flower but knowing deep down in his gut that he shouldn’t. Plus it was fun to spite him by messing with dear little Papyrus. He always had something to hold over his head.

     “But I’ll get to the point. Wouldn’t want to interfere with your wasteful little existence.” He sneered all the while grinning up at Sans, who had, not surprisingly, not moved. Not to strike him nor to leave. What an idiot. He wasn’t going to go into details about why he wanted Sans to go to his sentry point, but he’d get the point across one way or another. Flowey was pretty sure he knew the reason he hadn’t been able to reload in a few weeks, but he wasn’t about to try and get involved with the cause itself. No, that was what Sans was for. Afterall, if he couldn’t reload, the next time he died, it’d be permanent. And he wasn’t quite willing to die yet.

     “There’s a _human_ , Sans.”

     The sensation that shuddered through his bones was probably the closest he could come to feeling cold. The lights of his eyes contracted uneasily as he glared at the flower, then quickly away to the side. A tangle of emotions the flower couldn’t possibly understand knotted in his core before he shifted his gaze back to Flowey. “Cool. I’ll get Papyrus.” He said, lifting a hand to straighten the collar of his oversized jacket. “Maybe if he can capture it, Undyne will finally let him into the guard.” He shrugged casually, shoving his hand back into his pocket as he turned to step away.

     “Aww, don’t try and bluff with me, friend!” Flowey pouted, vanishing into the earth before springing up again in front of Sans to block his path. “I know you wouldn’t want your naive little brother hurt, would you? Afterall, he isn’t really built to _kill_ , is he? Not like **you.** ” That almost innocent sounding voice of his seemed to warble and warp into something duel-toned and mocking. “He’d get torn apart in an instant.” Flowey stretched up and up, leaning his stem down to peer sideways at Sans. “That’s why Undyne hasn’t let him in. Because he’s too soft. Poor Papyrus…” Flowey’s face seemed to melt and shift into something else, something familiar. It was Papyrus’ face surrounded by petals, broken and cracked. “ _‘But I can do it!’_ He’d say. _‘I CAN capture a human!’_ ”

     “Stop it.”

      The rage that sounded in those two little words…! Oh how fun! “But he’ll never be able to. D’ya know why? ‘Cause he’s _weak_. Weak and soft. And if he ever does run across a human, he’ll die and he’ll die and he’ll― Gah!” Flowey choked as Sans’ skeletal hand wrapped around his stem, the lights of his eyes vanishing, leaving nothing but two empty, angry voids of black. Flowey broke into laughter as his face shifted back to normal. Or, well, as normal as it could be while cackling.

     “I said _**stop it**._ ”  

     Flowey’s whole frame seemed to shake excitedly. Normally, there was nothing Sans could do to truly stop him. He would just reload and play the game all over again, and it didn’t matter how much Sans remembered or not. Because he _always_ won. Even now, while he couldn’t save, it was worth the bluff just to see the skeleton submit. “Well now! Have you made up your mind yet? I’d handle it myself but I think that duty is _really_ more suited for you.”

     Sans only waited a few more moments, tensely grasping Flowey, gritting his teeth. Thinking how _easy_ it would be to just tear him apart right now. But it wouldn't -- couldn't -- kill him. Even if he couldn’t remember everything, he always remembered Flowey’s threats. Those against his brother, his friends. He had seen it before, too, like a twisted nightmare. He didn’t want to see everyone he cared about die again. It was too much.

     He slowly let Flowey go, his entire posture seeming to deflate slightly as he looked away. “...Fine. I’ll check it out.”

     “Excellent!” The flower chirped, grinning at him all the while swaying on his stem happily. “I’ve heard you’ve done it before. Kill humans.” When Sans didn’t comment, his grin twisted delightedly. He hadn’t gotten to see how each of the previous five souls had fared in the Underground, but he knew at least two had been felled by the skeleton. He had been ‘revived’ thanks to another sad little whelp, Dr. Alphy. She had used what she had extracted from them to try and make a puppet out of him. To break the barrier; to free everyone. What a _joke_. If there was one thing he agreed with his mother about, it was the fact that Asgore was indeed a pathetic creature. He couldn’t even muster up the courage to slip through the barrier with one soul to collect six more. Oh well. Flowey would bide his time and simply wait until there were enough souls collected, or when his ‘dear’ father dropped his guard to steal them.

     Flowey snapped away from his thoughts as Sans turned abruptly away from him, pulling his hood up as the wind howled around them. He let him go, snow dusting his golden petals as he giggled quietly to himself. There was no way he was going to miss this. Not a chance.


	3. Bad Puns & the Impenetrable Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, I love writing Sans and Flowey interacting. Seriously it's become my favorite thing. Tolie is finally getting more personality, and I've come to adore Toriel even more while writing her. Is that even possible? I listened to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbKrB8F0wY4) the entire time while writing the last section of this chapter becauseit'ssodanggoodseriouslygolistenrightnow.
> 
>  **Please** help me improve and let me know what you think! I have a general idea of plot but I'd love to hear what you guys think, too! Critiquing is totally welcome.

     “What do you mean?! Flowey, you’re scaring me, don’t say things like that!” Papyrus’ voice echoed in a worried whisper around Waterfall. Aww, how sweet. His ‘dear friend’ was worried about his safety. And while there was indeed good reason for it, Flowey was using his lack of powers to his benefit. Mainly to force Sans further into the corner by using his brother as collateral. And of course the moron was obvious to it.  
     “It’s true.” He said, putting as much dismay into his posture as possible, appearing to practically wilt under the weight of his impending doom. “I may not have much time left, friend. That’s why I wanted to say goodbye, and give you some last tips.” He let out a quiet sigh, lifting his face up to see Papyrus nearly in tears. What a pathetic sap he was.  
     So what if the human was trapped in the Ruins? That wasn’t a good enough excuse to allow it to continue existing. He could get into the Ruins easily, unlike most of the other monsters in the Underground. But he couldn’t get to the little human girl he had seen there, because there was no way he could take down Toriel. She was far too strong, and without the ability to reload, there was no way he was going to try and take her on. That’s where Sans would come in, if they could figure out how to open that damn door. He hadn’t exactly mentioned the former queen to Sans, but if he couldn’t beat her then it’d only be a minor setback. Afterall, if the skeleton had Toriel distracted, then _he_ could kill the human himself and take it’s soul for himself. Once he could save again he’d get to work sorting this mess out, and if his dear mother and the trashy skeleton killed each other in the process, well, then it’d still be a win for him. One less toy to play with in the future would be worth it in the end.  
     “Why? What can I do to help? Maybe Undyne can fix it!”  
     Flowey snapped back to the present, trying his best to keep from glaring at his ‘friend’. Ugh, Undyne. No way he wanted that uppity bitch getting too involved. Not without the ability to save. It was too risky. “No, Papyrus.” He cooed, lifting a tangle of vines to touch Papyrus’ cheekbone gingerly. He had to remind himself to resist slapping him across the face or snapping his collarbone just for fun. No, he couldn’t expose himself until he could save… that’s what it all really came down to. He couldn’t drop the ball and relish in the hilarity of watching his ‘friend’s’ horror and surprise when he stabbed them in the back. It would have to wait until the human was dead and _he_ had her soul. “It’s not something that can be fixed so easily.” He’d explain slowly, trying to work up the details of his lie as he went along. He was getting quite good at it. “And I’m putting you at risk telling you this. You wouldn’t want someone else to get hurt, would you?”  
      “Well, no, but I―”  
     “Then keep ~~your stupid mouth shut~~ this between us, okay, friend?” Flowey caught himself and plastered the most patient expression he could on his face. “I can’t go into details, but… well… there’s something dangerous in the Ruins.” He said, letting his petals shift in a posture of unease. On the surface, the flower appeared worried and almost afraid. “I need to take care of it before it gets out into the rest of the Underground.”  
     “Huh? What is it?” Papyrus tilted his head questioningly before his sockets boggled. “Is it a HUMAN?!”  
     Oh goodness, this was _exactly_ why he hadn’t wanted to bring up the details. He thought about his answer too long, and even dim little Papyrus caught on quick enough. He scrambled to his feet, slipping in the mud as he pushed himself up with his gloved hands. “It is, isn’t it?! We’ve got to capture it! I-I’ll get Undyne and then you’ll be safe, no one is allowed to hurt my friend, not while I, the Great Papyrus, still stands strong!”  
     Flowey couldn’t keep his annoyance in check, and a thorned version of his vines wrapped around Papyrus’ ankle as he spun around to march off toward the fish woman’s house, tripping him up. He landed with a shocked ‘ _Ooof!_ ’ before glancing lengthwise back at Flowey, his brows curved up in a mixture of confusion and fear. Normally, that expression would have been the precursor to a much worse fate for the skeleton, but Flowey was not so keen on destroying his favorite toy if he couldn’t reload. So instead of unleashing a wicked laugh he retracted his vines and shriveled in fake guilt, plastering horror over his face. “I-I’m sorry!” He had plenty of practice with blubbering; after all, he had seen it many times in many different monsters. It wasn’t as easy to mimic as other emotions, but he could get the job done. “I― It’s just, y-yes, it is, but… can you promise me something, Papyrus?”  
     The skeleton offered a smile and sat up, obviously forgiving any misguided actions of Flowey’s in that instant. _Idiot_. “Of course, dear friend!”  
     “Don’t get involved.” There was a sternness to the flower’s voice that he let bleed through, if only for an instant. “I have a plan to figure it out, and you, pal, play a big part.” He smiled again, swaying lightly on his stem. “So until I call for you, don’t tell anyone, okay?”  
     Papyrus looked uncertain for a moment, probably conflicted between making a promise and letting Flowey tackle his problem on his own. But he nodded solemnly, pressing his hand to his ribcage where, even below the oversized sweater he was wearing, his white soul shone momentarily. “I, the Great Papyrus, swear to it!” He reached out to tap Flowey’s petals lightly, and it was all the flower could muster to prevent himself from snapping at the skeleton again. “Just be sure to call for me whenever you need assistance!”  
     “I will, Paps.” Flowey said, offering a wide grin before burrowing below the ground and leaving the skeleton to himself. He sure hoped that idiot would keep his promise. So long as this all got settled quickly, then it wouldn’t be an issue.  


* * *

  
     “Can’t you just use that stupid ‘shortcut’ thing and just get through the door?” Flowey’s insistent voice nagged from behind Sans as he stared up at the massive door that stood as the barrier between the Ruins and the rest of the Underground. Small white pupils flicked to glare sideways at Flowey before returning back to stare at the emblem across the door. “It’s not like I can just turn it on and off, y‘know.” He drawled, lifting his right hand from his pocket to subconsciously rub across the top of his skull. Besides, the voice had warned him time and again not to exert his ‘gift’. Heh, that was irony. His ‘gift’ had only caused him more pain than joy, along with the bastard little flower jutting out of the snow beside him.  
     “Then what’s the use of you?” Flowey snarled, ducking below the surface as a small wave of magic in the shape of undulating bones was tossed his direction. It was less of an attack and more of a lazy way to get him to shut up for a minute. Funny, normally Flowey would have taken the hit if only to counter it with his own. It wasn’t like him to dodge even the weakest of attacks.  
     When he reemerged in front of Sans his petals were bristling like an angry cat. He could always threaten his brother, again, but Sans’ reactions were getting more and more numb with each reset. It made Flowey have to get clever with the details on how he’d hurt Papyrus next. Even if he couldn’t remember _everything_ like Flowey, each reset made him harder to manipulate. “You’re useless, you know that?” He hissed. The sides of Sans’ perpetual grin flicked up even moreso. “You got a **bone** to pick with me?”  
     “Gah! Forget you!” Roots and vines thrust upward from the snow, and Sans flinched ever so slightly before he realized Flowey had turned back towards the door. The whip-like cracks pounded uselessly against its surface, and after a few moments he retreated slightly, his frustrated curses being eaten up by the wind that tossed his petals to and fro.. Why wouldn’t the damn thing _open?!_  
     “Move.”  
     Flowey glanced back to see a massive shape overshadowing him and Sans alike. The skeleton had his hand lifted and his head lowered, his left eye flickering between blackness and a blue-yellow glow. Flowey had seen that… that _thing_ hovering behind him before. They always creeped him out, how Sans could call upon the almost life-like magic blasters to do his bidding. They didn’t even have _souls_. The shadowed look on Sans’ face wasn’t any better, but it switched to a mild grin as he shook his head with a sigh. “Damn. Shoulda said **uproot** yourself.” That would have been a much better phrase to use.  
     Flowey had just opened his mouth to retort on that stupid choice of words when Sans let the blaster fire everything it had at the door. The flower had to burrow down through the cold snow yet again to avoid the blast, only resurfacing when the sound of it died down. Popping back up behind Sans, he gaped in awe.  
     There, in front of them… the door still stood. Sans’ shoulders were heaving slightly, and his fire-like eye sizzled out and returned to normal a moment after as the skull-like formation of magic vanished. He looked disappointed for less than a second flat before he shrugged and stuffed his hands back into his pockets, twisting his torso to look back at Flowey. “Y’know what I was thinking? I thought, ‘ **Thistle** work for sure.’ Eh, oh well.”  
     If there was one thing Flowey allowed himself to have in common with Papyrus, it was a hatred for Sans’ stupid jokes. Tearing Sans’ jaw off would have been his response if he still had his loading powers. It certainly wasn’t mercy that kept him from doing so. “...Fine. Plan B it is then…” He muttered, noting the silent, speculative glance Sans passed him. Sighing in irritation he vanished through the dirt and snow, leaving Sans to stand alone in front of the door. He listened, hearing a few scratching sounds before a very obviously tapping of vine from the inside.  
     “Who’s there?”  
     “It’s me, you idiot!”  
     “‘It’s me you idiot’ who?”  
     Sans let out a quiet laugh at the groan of irritation he could hear from Flowey through the door. For some reason, the spiteful little flower hadn’t lashed out at him yet this time, and while part of him was curious about it, most of him was enjoying just ticking him off.  
      “I’m going to try and lure the human out the door from inside.” He heard the flower say. “Just wait out there until I can get it out, okay? For once do your damn job.”  
     And just like that, it went silent, and Sans was left only with the howling of the wind through the trees.  


* * *

  
      A massive paw-like hand gripped around Toleryn’s own, and the girl giggled as she was stopped dead in her tracks by the motherly monster. When she glanced back over her shoulder, though, her smile vanished at the look on Toriel’s face.  
     “That is enough now, Tolie. This is not a game.” Toriel looked pained behind the stern look across her face. Tolie looked away, back down the dark corridor that she had _thought_ was a basement. It seemed more like a pathway, and, more importantly, a new place to explore. But Toriel seemed mad, and she didn’t want to get in trouble with her. So when she glanced back up at her with big, tearful blue eyes, she knew she wouldn’t get punished if she used _the pout_. It was something she had perfected in the orphanage, and while it hadn’t _always_ worked on the people there, it had gotten her out of trouble a few times. And as she saw Toriel’s expression flicker into something close to a smile, she knew was working on her, too.  
     “Sorry…” She said quietly, and lifted her hands in a grasping motion up at her. It only took a split second for Toriel to scoop her up in her arms and carry her back up the stairs. As she set her down on the wooden floor, Tolie put her hands behind her and rocked back on her heels, smiling meekly from below strands of dark straw colored hair. She could tell Toriel was trying her best to remain stern, with her hands propped on her hips, but there was no doubt _the pout_ was working it’s magic on the monster. She just needed the tiniest bit more of a push.  
     “Y-You aren’t mad at me, are you, mummy…?”  
     Toriel completely melted. She dropped into a kneel and held her arms open, to which Tolie rushed back into the warmth and comfort of her embrace. “No, my dear. I could never stay mad at you.” Toriel said, lifting a hand to absently adjust the ribbon in the girl’s hair. It had slouched sideways and had nearly come undone by Tolie’s adventures. “I understand if you just want to have fun. Afterall, the Ruins can be very small once you get used to them.” A saddened frown took the place where her stern look at previously been. “But it is dangerous to explore down there on your own. Perhaps, one day, I will show you myself.”  
     Tolie may have been young, but she was observant and had a natural talent for reading people. Even the most harmless of lies, such as the one Toriel had just quietly said, didn’t go over her head. There was another reason the monster didn’t want her down there, and it wasn’t just that it was dangerous, whatever she meant by that. And Toleryn was determined to find out what. She just had to be patient. The prospect that Toriel was keeping a secret from her seemed even more of a motive than just to explore a new place.  
     “Okay, mummy.” She grinned widely, showing off that gap-toothed smile of hers. Toriel stood back up and gave her a thorough pat on the head before stepping over to the door and opening it for the girl. “Why don’t you go play outside while I make us some supper?” She suggested, to which Tolie quickly obliged. There was no point protesting or trying to sneak back down there now; she got caught every time. She would just have to wait for the right moment to make her move.  
     Leaping through the doorway Tolie fell on her hands and knees, feeling the rough stone cut at her skin. She heard Toriel gasp behind her, but she got back up and gave the monster a thumbs up before scrambling back up to her feet and resuming her adventure. She wanted to head over toward the garden where the Vegetoids liked to play with her in their strange little way. Though, she would tell them she couldn’t eat too much before supper, otherwise there’d be no room for snail casserole!  
     But the garden was strangely quiet when she stepped through the fallen leaves. There were no Vegetoids or Froggits to play with, and she furrowed her brows. Maybe they were all heading to their homes for dinner, too?

  
     “Howdy!”


	4. stop being such a crybaby.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toleryn meets Flowey. Oh joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh oops. Very slow writer is very slow. |'D   
> Enjoy some more manipulative dickish Flowey. Also just wanted to say that [unrestedjade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unrestedjade)'s 'Flowey is Not a Good Life Coach' has been an incredible influence to my perception of Flowey in 'The Sixth Soul'. So I'm dedicating this chapter to them! Keep up the fantastic writing, bro!
> 
> Again, ANY critique is welcome! (srsly plz halp me)

     Toleryn stumbled back, falling on her rear in the red leaves that adorned the garden. It was more surprise than fright that crossed her face as she blinked at the sweetly smiling golden flower that had appeared in front of her.   
     “Golly, I didn’t scare ya, did I?”   
     Tolie blinked at the contently bobbing plant and shook her head. “Not scared, just surprised.” She replied, pushing herself up to sit with her knees under her and tilt her head at the flower. A talking flower surely hadn’t been the most unbelievable of things she had come across in the underground so far, but his abrupt appearance in the unusually quiet Ruins had left her more than a little startled.   
     “Good! I’m Flowey. Flowey the flower!” He made a goofy little face, sticking his tongue out sideways in a playful manner.   
     “I’m Tolie! Tolie the…” Wait, hadn’t Toriel mentioned how some ― no, _most_ ― monsters would react negatively to a human? Sure, she had come to befriend the ones in the Ruins, but she had never met Flowey in the weeks she had been living down here. He must have come from outside of the Ruins. She had no way of knowing what his reaction would be.  
     But Flowey already seemed to know. There was a tiny glimmer in his eyes as he lowered his stem slightly, peering up at her. “The human. I know.” He lifted himself a bit straighter, leaning in closer to her. She wasn’t sure why, but Tolie had to fight the urge to recoil slightly. “It’s okay, your secret’s safe with me. I’m not one who wants to capture human souls to break the barrier.” He mused quietly, watching her reaction carefully.   
    “Barrier?” Tolie echoed, her brows furrowing together slightly. What did he mean by all of _that_?  
     Ah, so she _hadn’t_ told the girl much. Flowey wondered just what else the girl knew of the world beyond Toriel’s little sanctuary. The true, kill or be killed meaning of this petty little existence. Being so close to the human child now made his petals quiver in anticipation, and it took a constant reminder of why he was here to keep him from trying to tear into the girl and yank her soul out for himself. What else didn’t she know? Just how much had Toriel wrapped the girl up in her overprotective, coddling ways?  
     “Oh, you don’t know about the barrier?” He tipped himself to the side a bit, as if astonished to hear that she didn’t know. “Or about the curse that keeps us all underground?” When Tolie shook her head, Flowey grinned. “Well then, I guess little ol’ me will have to fill you in! You ready for a story, Tolie the human?”  
     Tolie smiled, fidgeting in place as she got herself comfortable. A lesson in lore from a strange talking flower sounded like fun! With an eager enough expression to convey to Flowey she was ready to hear his tale, she set her hands in her lap atop her dirty dress and listened.  
  
*    *    *  
  
     “...And then the king, wracked with grief, declared war once again.” Flowey couldn’t help the odd little grin that sprouted up his face. It was so bizarre telling this story from an outside perspective, like it had happened to someone else. Just like that, in the tale, the prince had died, and it was ‘the end’ for him. Bye bye, Asriel… hello Flowey. Not that he’d mention that to the girl, of course, and he continued on, leaving the memory of his previous life behind in his story. Tolie had cried, big silent tears when he’d gotten to his and his sibling’s deaths, but continued listening silently. Her sympathy and grief for someone she only knew through words was unsettling; how could him telling her this make her feel so sad so quickly? It wasn’t like she knew anyone he was talking about. Hell, she hadn’t even been born yet.   
     “Here’s where you come in, little human.” Flowey said quietly, his grin stretching up and up. “You see, in order to break the barrier, the power of human souls is needed. Every human that has fallen before you… was killed for that sake.” He tried to calm himself, to sound less excited and more tragic about the deaths of those who had come before Tolie. It was hard. “Only two more souls are needed… and I’m here to warn you.” His smile vanished, leaving his eyes squinted to stare intently at her. “You won’t be spared by those who want your soul.”  
     Tolie felt a chill run through her. Sure, she knew monsters were scared of humans, but… did they really all want to _kill_ humans, too? She couldn’t imagine a single Froggit wanting to truly hurt her. And Toriel… of course Toriel would never hurt her… right…?   
     Flowey watched the hesitant, scared look cross her face, and he pouted sadly. There had been _one_ tiny edit to his story… one simple lie which would make this all much easier. “When the queen ran away from her castle, she came here, to the Ruins. Do you know why…?” He leaned in closer, beckoning Tolie to come forward so he could whisper his secret lie.  
     “So she could kill every human that fell here through the chasm.”  
  
     “Toleryn! Supper is ready, my child!”  
     Toriel’s voice made the girl jump in fright, leaves scattering in a shocked flurry of color as she glanced over her shoulder. There she was, standing at the doorway holding a casserole dish between two mitted hands with a gentle smile on her face. Tolie whirled forward again, but the flower was gone. There was no trace of him, like he hadn’t been there at all. Still, his last words were ringing in her ears, and her hand clenched at her chest, balling the fabric of her dirty dress between small fingers.   
     “Tolie? What’s wrong?”  
     She had to get her heart to stop pounding. He must have been lying to her… right? Toriel would never hurt her! “I’ll b-be right there!” She called back, trying to stifle the fear in her voice. She turned her head to give Toriel a wave, watching as the monster gave a nod and turned back into the home. As soon as the door closed the girl got to her feet, spinning around to look for Flowey. She called out his name quietly, but he didn’t respond. After a few minutes, Tolie frowned and stepped back into the house.  
  
     This was good. The seed of doubt and fear had been firmly planted in the girl. Still, it was obvious she was going to need more persuasion to fully distrust Toriel. It would likely take longer than Flowey wanted, but that would be fine. It would all go smoothly.   
  
  
*  
  
  
     Toleryn awoke in the middle of the night, sitting upright in her bed. Something had woken her up, but as she rubbed her tired eyes, her half asleep mind couldn’t recall just what exactly had stirred her. Blinking in the dark, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, letting them hover inches above the ground. Normally, if she had awoken due to a nightmare or just couldn’t fall back asleep, she would have crawled into Toriel’s massive bed and fallen right back asleep. But now… Flowey’s words were still ringing in her mind, and she hesitated. Surely if the motherly monster wanted her dead, she would have done so by now… right?   
     She was so lost in her thoughts that when she heard the faint scratching noise coming from downstairs, she dismissed it as wind before her mind caught up with her. There _wasn’t_ any wind in the Ruins. Tollie could have sworn her heart dropped into her stomach as her wide blue eyes landed on the doorway that led into the hall. There was a strip of far off light from the living room, but it wasn’t the bright warm golden light from the fire when Toriel stayed up to read her books before sleeping. No, it was the dull glow of dying embers; it was late enough that Toriel was already fast asleep. So it wasn’t her making any scratching sounds.  
     When it sounded again this time Tollie didn’t jump, and instead landed her bare feet flat against the ground to stand upright off the bed. Why was she suddenly so afraid? She had never been afraid of the dark, and ever since she had come to befriend the monsters in the Ruins, she had no reason to fear anything down here. Toriel was right; the ruins were small once you got used to them. But something so out of place as that odd sound was enough to make her little heart pound in her chest.  
     Even so, she padded out into the hall, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she listened carefully. It sounded again, and there was an almost impatient note to the faint tapping. It was like someone was knocking on the front door. Stepping carefully over to it, she pressed her ear flat to the door and held her breath.  
     “...H-Hello…?”  
  
     Flowey grinned, and he was lucky both of them were too short for the peephole to be of much use, because she likely wouldn’t have liked the malicious little smirk that curved up his face before it faded completely. Shifting his expression to match the tone he wanted to convey, he leaned in as close as he could to the door from the side, stretching his stem upwards and sideways. “Tollie it’s me, Flowey!” He whispered, filling his voice with as much worry as he possibly could.   
     “Flowey…?” The confused voice beyond the door wasn’t that of lack of recognition, but rather probably curious as to why he had shown up out of the blue in the middle of the night days after their first meeting. When the door cracked open he could see her slightly pinched, tired face peering through the gap between the door and the frame. She was hesitant to open it all the way until she saw him in the darkness off to the side. “W-What’re you…?”  
     “C’mon, quickly.” He urged, using an extended vine to prod the door open more, spilling faint light out across the grassy courtyard. She didn’t resist and released the door, blinking into the darkness to make his form out. “It’s not safe to talk here. I wanna make sure no one’s listening.” He let his eyes wander toward where he knew Toriel’s room to be, wearing a mask of worry and fear. Apparently it was realistic enough to coax the girl to throw a wary glance over her shoulder before stepping out into the courtyard, sliding the door mostly closed behind her, but leaving it cracked. She still didn’t want to get locked out.  
  
     Flowey vanished into the ground to appear again further down the pathway, waving his leaves at her to follow him. She felt utterly torn; surely he had been lying about Toriel, right…? Then why did he seem so genuinely concerned? Scared, even. It was enough to make the doubt creep back into her thoughts as she stepped after him until the grass turned to cold stone beneath her bare toes. Only when they had rounded another one of the corners did Flowey stop, glancing to make sure they hadn’t been spotted by anyone before finally turning to address the girl.  
     “W-Why did you lead me out here, Flowey?” She asked, her brows furrowed in anticipation as she stared at the flower. “You’re scaring me.”  
     An odd look crossed his face ― but it was gone in an instant. “I’m not the one you should be scared of. And I told ya, gotta make sure no one’s listening in.” He leaned in, waving her closer with a flick of his leaves. “I have a friend on the outside who can help get you out of here, to get you somewhere safe.” He said, and when she opened her mouth to protest, he spoke quicker. “The queen is gonna hurt you, Tollie. I’m your friend, right?” He flashed a weak smile, something hopeful crossing his expression. Toleryn felt herself pout and nodded.   
     “Yeah, I guess…”  
     “Good! Now then, we can get ready to g―”  
     “B-But I can’t just leave! Toriel wouldn’t ever hurt me, I j-just know it…” The girl felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief. She caught the faintly annoyed rustle of Flowey’s petals as she took a step back from him. “I dun get it.” She sobbed quietly.  
  
     It took everything he had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. This facade was getting stale, and for someone so young ― she was even younger than his sibling had been when he had found them ― she sure was stubborn. Either that, or Toriel had made more of an imprint on the girl than he’d thought. He hadn’t been able to save for well over a month now, but was that all the time the girl had needed to bond with the boss monster? It seemed silly to put that much blind faith into someone after such a short span of time.  
     “I told ya. She needs the souls to break the barrier. She’ll keep you trapped here until Asgore gets here, all the way from New Home, to slice you up into tiny bits with his spear―”  
     “Stop it!” The girl wept, burying her face into her palms, prompting a split-second reaction from Flowey. “Shh! Stop being such a crybaby!” He snapped, an extended vine wrapping around the girl’s wrist to pry her hand from her face. She let out a startled noise that was muffled by the leaf that was pressed against her face. “I’m trying to save you!” He growled quietly, but as he saw the fear rise to her expression he released her and pulled back, sucking in a deep breath to contain his irritation. She was making this entirely too difficult.   
  
     Tugging back out of his grasp Tollie stumbled and hit the ground on her rear, glaring pitifully up at him. “Y-You’re a liar.” She huffed, shaking her head. She didn’t want to believe it; she _refused_ to believe it. Flowey was stupid and a liar and she had made up her mind; she wanted nothing to do with him. All she wanted was to run back home and curl up next to Toriel and forget she had ever met that silly flower.   
  
     Resisting the urge to trip her and _force_ her to listen to him as she staggered to her feet and began to run back to the house, he instead called after her. “Fine! See for yourself then!” He called after her into the darkness. “Go down to the basement. You’ll see!” At least that much Flowey counted on; the girl was too curious, and Toriel was far too protective. It was perfect, really. It would take longer, but hopefully… she could come to see that even if Toriel wasn’t the murderous creature he’d made her out to be, that she indeed had dark secrets. It was just a matter of time.


End file.
